The offense Contributing to the delinquency of a minor requires which of the following?

The offense Contributing to the delinquency of a minor requires which of the following?

• A. Defendant over the age of 18 and contributes to delinquency, or engages in consensual sexual intercourse with a child 15 or older not his/her spouse
• B. The victim is under the age of 13
• C. The act occurs in a school
• D. The offender is a relative of the child

Answer: (A)

The essential idea is that the offense targets an adult’s actions that push a minor toward illegal behavior. The best choice fits because it requires the offender to be 18 or older and to either contribute to the minor’s delinquency or engage in a serious sexual act with a minor who is not his or her spouse. In other words, liability comes from the adult’s age and their conduct toward the minor, not from where the act happens or from a specific family relationship. The other options don’t define the offense: the minor’s age being under 13, the act occurring in a school, or the offender being a relative are not elements that establish this crime.

The essential idea is that the offense targets an adult’s actions that push a minor toward illegal behavior. The best choice fits because it requires the offender to be 18 or older and to either contribute to the minor’s delinquency or engage in a serious sexual act with a minor who is not his or her spouse. In other words, liability comes from the adult’s age and their conduct toward the minor, not from where the act happens or from a specific family relationship. The other options don’t define the offense: the minor’s age being under 13, the act occurring in a school, or the offender being a relative are not elements that establish this crime.